It can be awkward scolding your own parents. That’s why new parents should set some grandparenting ground rules as soon as possible to avoid nasty arguments and frayed relationships down the road, according to bestselling author and parenting expert Esther Wojcicki.
“There’s a lot of conflict between parents and grandparents. I’ve seen it everywhere,” says Wojcicki, an educator and author of the 2019 book “How to Raise Successful People.”
Wojcicki, who has 10 grandchildren, adds that most conflicts between parents and grandparents arise when the latter undermine their own kids “out of ignorance”.
“It’s hard for [grandparents] to readjust and realize that their kids are adults and now they can make their own decisions,” Wojcicki says. “So, I think a lot of grandparents inadvertently step on the toes of the parents and do things which, to the grandparents, seem normal. But, actually it’s an invasion of their territory.”
Establishing set rules “when the kids are young, and even when they’re just born” can help parents avoid potential future conflicts by creating opportunities to discuss boundaries calmly before any are actually encroached, says Wojcicki.
